A large, tall creature resembling a bear, but with two large horns on its head and long claws on its hands, now stood directly in front of Alea and Arzenio.
Alea's hair stood on end as she felt the ferocious aura of this strange creature, which was no ordinary bear. Even the bear's eyes seemed to want to tear Alea apart.
"Leave him to me, Prince, I don't want to hurt you," said the creature, who was the ancient guardian of the forbidden land.
Arzenio grinned, as if he was not afraid to face his opponent. "Kill me if you want to take him."
A loud snort echoed, and Alea, unable to bear the sound, covered her ears.
The horned creature lowered its body, preparing to pounce.
Arzenio's eyes had turned bright gold, a sign that his alpha instincts were fully active. The wind around him swirled, following his wolfish aura.
"Stay away from her!" Arzenio shouted.
"My duty is to bring the violator of the forbidden land.
"Touch him... and you die."
Their movements were almost simultaneous. The horned bear slammed its claws into the ground, creating a wave of dust. Arzenio darted away as fast as a shadow—almost invisible—avoiding the first attack.
The creature's claws tore through the air right where Arzenio had been standing a few seconds ago.
Alea let out a small scream, clutching her chest.
Arzenio glanced at her. "Don't move from there!"
The creature raised its body, its horns emitting small flashes of lightning—primordial energy. It charged, and this time Arzenio did not dodge. He stood tall, taking a deep breath.
His wolf king aura exploded, like a golden storm shaking the trees. The ground trembled.
"Go to another forest!" Arzenio growled, his voice echoing heavily.
The guardian creature became even more enraged, as if judging Arzenio to be a threat worthy of fighting.
The two collided.
There was a loud crash, like a giant rock being thrown against a cliff. Arzenio was pushed back a few steps but did not fall. He spun around, grabbed one of the creature's horns and slammed his knee into the side of its head.
The creature roared loudly, but did not fall. Instead, it swung its body, throwing Arzenio into a large tree trunk.
"A-Arzenio!" Alea was about to move, but the creature turned to her—threateningly.
Arzenio immediately stood up again, blood trickling from his temple. His eyes grew brighter.
This time Arzenio unleashed his full power. The wind swirled like a vortex, lifting the leaves. His shadow branched out, his speed increasing many times over.
He darted behind the creature, jumped onto its back, and with extraordinary strength pulled the two horns in opposite directions.
The creature roared, shaking violently, before finally falling to its knees, surrendering.
Arzenio did not kill it. He only forced the creature back into the forest—an acknowledgment of hierarchy.
The horned creature finally retreated slowly, re-entering the fog, its roar fading.
Arzenio was panting, his shoulders rising and falling.
Alea approached with trembling steps. "Arzenio... you're hurt—"
He raised his hand, making sure Alea was safe. "The important thing is that you're okay."
Alea stared at the misty forest, her breath catching. "What was that creature?"
"Ursak," Arzenio replied softly. "An ancient guardian of forbidden lands. It doesn't attack humans... unless its territory is violated."
Alea swallowed hard. "I'm sorry for entering their land."
Arzenio looked at her deeply, meaningfully.
"I myself don't understand why you were able to enter the forbidden land so easily."
"What do you mean?" Alea looked at him, confused.
"We should leave now."
Alea was still holding Arzenio's bleeding arm. They had just left the forbidden land, and Arzenio was still breathing heavily. However, when he tried to pull his hand away, Alea gripped it even tighter.
"Arzenio... what did you just do?" Alea's voice trembled, somewhere between fear and confusion.
Arzenio avoided her gaze. "Now is not the time to talk about that. We have to go back to the palace."
"No!" Alea took a step back. "That creature... it was afraid of you, even submissive. And you moved... not like a human, Arzenio."
Arzenio was silent. Silence fell slowly like a thin fog.
Alea stared at him with wide eyes, full of confusion. "You... what are you, really?" This was what Alea had wanted to ask all along.
Arzenio clenched his jaw. The wild light in his golden eyes from the fight had not completely faded. He knew he couldn't lie anymore.
"Alea… you might not be ready to hear this."
"I've seen it, and everything here is so strange." Alea swallowed. "I have the right to know."
Arzenio sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping slowly. "Alright."
The wind suddenly swirled, as if responding to him. A faint golden light appeared around his body. Alea reflexively took a step back.
"Whatever your reaction... know that I will not hurt you," Arzenio said softly.
Arzenio's body began to change—his bones seemed to shift, and a hot aura emanated from his skin. The golden light grew stronger.
In a matter of seconds, a large shadow loomed in front of Alea.
A giant wolf, white-furred with golden eyes like Arzenio's, stood right in front of her.
Alea gasped, her hands covering her mouth.
"No... it can't be..." she whispered softly.
The wolf bowed slowly, as if paying respect. The fierce aura that had been visible during the fight was now gone—all that remained was calmness and respect.
Alea trembled as she looked into its eyes.
Those eyes... the eyes that had always stared at her since they first met.
"It's you... Arzenio?" Alea asked in a broken voice, unable to believe it.
The wolf nodded briefly.
Alea was silent for a long time. Her breath rose and fell rapidly, but there was no excessive fear—more of a shock that dragged her entire mind.
Arzenio slowly transformed back into a human. His body fell to his knees, a little tired from the transition.
Alea backed away again, but her gaze remained fixed on Arzenio.
"You... a wolf?" she asked softly, still unsure of her own words.
Arzenio looked up, staring at her honestly. "I am the heir to the Arzen Wolf Clan throne. A full alpha."
Alea hugged herself, trying to stop trembling.
Alea exhaled deeply, almost as if she were choking. "I... I don't know what to do?"
Arzenio rose slowly, his eyes softening.
"You don't have to decide now. But there's one thing you should know... I never meant to hurt you. Since the night of the union... I've been bound to you."
Alea closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.
When she opened them, she looked at Arzenio without running away again.
"I'm scared..." Alea whispered.
Without a word, Arzenio picked Alea up and quickly carried her away from there.
Alea could only bow her head, tightening her grip on Arzenio's neck and hiding her face on his chest.
When they arrived in front of the palace, Alea was immediately put down. Her body was still shaking violently, the image of Arzenio turning into a wolf kept spinning in her head, making her breathe irregularly.
She didn't have time to look back. Without saying a word, Alea immediately ran into the palace. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as if she were still being chased by something.
Once she arrived in her room, Alea climbed onto the bed, pulled the blanket over her, and covered herself until only her eyes were visible. Her whole body felt cold.
"It turns out Arzenio isn't human, he's a huge wolf."
Alea's chest rose and fell rapidly. She covered her mouth so she wouldn't cry out. However, the image of Arzenio's fangs, red eyes, and heavy breathing in his wolf form continued to haunt her.
Alea closed her eyes tightly.
Just as she tried to calm herself,
the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside the room.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
The footsteps grew closer.
Clearer.
More terrifying.
Alea froze in place, as the footsteps stopped right in front of the door.